Turbomachinery frequently employs a wide variety of tubing to route different types of fluids throughout the machinery. The tubing commonly comprises male and female body components joined by a nut coupled to one of the components cooperating with threads on the other component. This coupling permits connection and disconnection by relative rotation about the tubing centerline. The conditions to which the connected coupling is subjected can sometimes, over a period of time, cause loosening of the nut and resultant leakage. For example, a typical tubing connection of a gas turbine engine is subjected to various vibratory and torsional loads, as well as significant thermal growth.
Many different types of lock devices have been previously proposed and implemented to prevent the loosening of such couplings. However, these devices have generally suffered from one or more disadvantages or defects. For example, certain lock designs require installation prior to coupling makeup, and retrofitting is not possible without system disassembly. With certain other designs, it has been necessary to locate the coupling components in a particular aligned relationship before the devices will function properly.
It would be desirable, to provide an apparatus which facilitates coupling of the male and female components while eliminating the loosening loads on the nut due to the loads placed on the coupling. It would also be desirable to provide such an apparatus which is allows the tubing to be coupled without system disassembly.